Valve assembly for toilet flush tanks



March 6, 1956 R. N. ELLIOTT VALVE ASSEMBLYv FOR TOILET FLUSH TANKS Filed April 6, 1954 INVENTOR. RAY N. ELuo-rr United States Patent.

VALVE ASSEMBLY FOR TOILET FLUSH TANKS Ray N. Elliott, Thousand Oaks, Qalit.

Application April 6, 1954, Serial No. 421,241

2 Claims. (Cl. 137-217) This invention relates to valve assemblies for flush tanks. More particularly, the invention has reference to a structure of the character described, which structure is particularly adapted to insure the flow of water, in proper quantity, through the overflow pipe of the flush tank.

The purpose of the overflow pipe, as used in conventional flush tank installations, is to supply sufficient water to the toilet bowl, to replace the water that has been syphoned out of the bowl trap after flushing. The water flowing through said overflow pipe will provide sufficient water Within the bowl to efiect a water seal within the trap, thus preventing the escape of sewer gases.

The main object of the present invention is to provide an improved valve assembly for toilet flush tanks, that will insure the movement of sufiicient water through the overflow pipe, to bring about the desired water seal. It is proposed, in this regard, to so design the improved valve assembly as to cause water to be directed into the overflow pipe from the refill pipe of the flush tank throughout the time that water is flowing from the refill pipe for the purpose of replenishing the supply within the flush tank.

Another object of importance is to provide a valve assembly as stated which will include a novelly designed anti-syphoning means, that will prevent the syphoning of water from the fiush tank into the overflow pipe.

Another object is to provide a valve assembly as stated wherein the means for controlling the flow of water to the overflow pipe will include a valve casing mountable directly upon the refill pipe, said casing being provided with a removable lid so designed as to provide ready access to the interior of the casing and to the refill pipe control 'valve disposed therein.

Yet another object is to provide, in said removable lid, a plurality of air inlet openings that will insure the maintenance of normal atmospheric pressure within the valve casing for the purpose of preventing syphoning, with the lid having a deformable gasket mounted on the inner surface thereof in such a way as to cause said gasket to constitute a check valve controlling passage of air through said inlet openings.

Other objects will appear from the following description, the claims appended thereto, and from the annexed drawing, in which like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

Figure l is a fragmentary perspective view of a flush tank equipped with a valve assembly formed in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged top plan view of the valve casing, the flush tank being illustrated fragmentarily;

Figure 3 is a sectional view on line 3--3 of Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is. a plan sectional view through the valve casing taken'on line 4-4 of Figure 3.

The reference numeral has been applied in the drawing to a generally conventional toilet flush tank.

2,737,198 ql atentecl Mar. 6,-1956 ice,

The flush tank is equipped with the usual, upstanding intake or refill pipe 12.

In accordance with the present invention, the refill pipe 12 has at its upper end a threaded connection 14 to the base 16 of a casing 18, said casing being formed with a removable lid and with a cup-like body on which said lid is removably mounted (see Figure 3).

Integrally formed upon the base or bottom 16 of the casing body is an upstanding seat 20 communicating with the upper end of the refill pipe 12, it being understood that water will be forced under pressure through the refill pipe and through the seat 20, into the casing, whenever the refill pipe control valve is lifted off its seat 20.

Integrally formed upon the bottom 16 of the casing body is an upstanding annulus 22 communicating with the inlet end of a depending spill pipe 24 threadedly connected to the underside of the casing and having its discharge end terminating in closely spaced relation to the bottom of the flush tank.

The lid or cap of the casing has been designated by the reference numeral 26, and is conically formed with a depending peripheral flange 28 that engages the upper end of the casing body, an annular sealing gasket 30 being interposed between the marginal portion of the lid and said upper end of the casing body.

Formed upon the raised center portion of the lid is a lug 32 having a groove or seat 34 for the mid-length portion of a pivoted bail 36, the bail 36 being formed to a U-shape and being pivotally connected at its opposite ends to the casing body, at diametrically opposite locations upon said body. The bail 36, of course, when shifted to the position shown in the drawing, will exert downward pressure upon the lid 26 tending to compress the gasket 30, thereby to effect a seal between the lid and body. When it is desired to have access to the interior of the body, the bail 36 is disengaged from its associated lug, and is shifted out of engagement with the casing lid.

Formed in the conical body portion of the lid 26 is a series of circumferentially spaced air inlet openings 38, said openings being spaced equal distances apart about the center point of the lid. A circular disc 40 of a flexible, readily deformable material such as soft rubber is secured at its center point to the center portion of the lid, said disc 40 substantially covering the underside or inner surface of the lid, so as to close the several openings 38.

The securing of the disc 40 to the lid in the manner referred to above is eflective to deform the normally flat disc into a conical shape complementing that of the lid.

It willbe noted, in this regard, that the shape of the lid and of its associated disc 40 is such as to cause the gasket to be pressed upwardly at its margin against the lid surface whenever the casing is filled with water. When, however, the casing begins to empty, the marginal portion of the disc will subside away from the inlet openings 38, under pressure of the air surrounding the casing 18. Thus, the disc 40 constitutes a check valve, that permits only infiow of air for the purpose of maintaining normal atmospheric pressure within the casing 18. This prevents syphoning of water from the flush tank into the overflow pipe, in a manner to be discussed in detail hereinafter.

Secured at one end to the casing 18, in communication with the interior of the casing, is an overflow pipe supply tube 42, said tube being of goose neck formation as shown in Figure 3, in the preferred embodiment of the invention. At its outlet end, the tube d2 extends well into the open upper end of the conventional'overflow pipe 44 of the flush tank structure.

A conventional ball valve assembly designated by the reference numeral 46, is adapted to be lifted olf its seat a. p sat/sales by operation of the normal float lever 48 of the flush tank.

Flow of water into the flush tank through the refill pipe 12 is controlled by a valve 50 (Figure 3), said .valve being secured to the underside of a rockable valve body 52. The valve body 52 is secured, at one side thereof, to a rock shaft 54, one end of which is rotatably engaged in an apertured boss orbearing projection 56 formed upon the inner surface of the valve casing side wall.

The valve body 52 is secured at its other side to a stub shaft coaxial with the rock shaft 54, said stub shaft being formed with an axial, threaded socket 58 for a complementarily threaded stud 60 provided upon the inner end of a stub shaft extension 62, that is rotatably engaged in an opening formed in the casing side wall diametrically opposite the boss 56.

The outer or projecting end of the stub shaft extension 62 has a kerf 64, whereby to permit insertion of a screwdriver bit or the like, when the stub shaft extension is to be threadedly connected to the stub shaft.

For the purpose of preventing movement of the stub shaft extension outwardly of the casing, in the direction of its length, I provide a resilient, split ring 66, that is engaged in a circumferential groove 63 formed in the stub shaft extension. The split ring 66 engages against the casing side Wall, to prevent movement of the stub shaftextension 62 outwardly of the casing.

The projecting portion of the stub shaft extension has a diametrically disposed, threaded opening in which is engaged one end of a float rod 70. The float rod '70, at its other end, has the usual float 72 secured thereto.

In use, and assuming that it is desired to operate the parts through a flushing cycle, the lift rod is swung upwardly by operation of the usual handle disposed exteriorly of the flush tank. This elevates the ball valve, and causes the contents of the flush tank to be emptied into the toilet bowl, for the purpose of flushing the same.

When the contents of the flush tank have been exhausted, the ball valve will drop back on to its seat, and the flush tank will begin to refill, due to the fact that the valve 50 will have been moved off its associated seat 26 by dropping of the float.

Throughout the time that the flush tank is being refilled, the valve casing 18 Will have been filled with water, and said water will flow out of the casing through the spill pipe 24, and also through the overflow pipe supply tube t2. By reason of this arrangement, water will be continuously flowing through the overflow pipe 44 while the flush tank is being refilled. thus to insure that a water seal will be eifected within the toilet bowl structure.

When the flush tank has been completely filled, to the desired level, the elevation of the float 72 will be effective to shift the valve body 52 and the rod 70 from the dotted to the full line positions shown in Figure 3, thus closing off the refill pipe 12.

The water remaining in the valve casing will now flow out of said casing through the spill pipe 24, and it is important to note that Syphon-proof operation is assured, due to the fact that any vacuum which would otherwise be created in the valve casing is precluded by movement of air into the casing through the air inlet openings 38 at this stage of the operation.

The back syphoning of water from the filled flush tank into the overflow pipe is thus prevented. Of course, while valve is in open position and the flush tank is being filled, the gasket 4% will seat firmly against the lid 26, to prevent the passage of water out of the openings 38.

The entire valve easing structure can, of course, be disposed above the water level as shown in Figure 1.

It is believed apparent that the invention is not necessarily confined to the specific use or uses thereof described above, since it may be utilized for any purpose to which it may be suited. Nor is the invention to be necessarily limited to the specific construction illustrated and described, since such construction is only intended to be illustrative of the principles of operation and the means presently devised to carry out said principles, it being considered that the invention comprehends any minor change in construction that may be permitted within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a flush tank valve assembly, a refill pipe having an upper end, a hollow cup-shaped casing mounted on said refill pipe, said casing having a bottom wall, a valve seat on said bottom wall having communication with the upper end of the refill pipe, a spill pipe depending from said bottom wall and communicating with the interior of said casing, a float lever shaft traversing and journalled on said casing, a valve body projecting from said shaft and extending over said valve seat, said valve body having a valve element engageable with said seat upon elevation of the float lever from a depressed position to an elevated position, said casing having an open top, a conical cover mounted on and closing the top of the casing, said cover having an apex, air inlet holes in said cover around said apex, the cover and the casing being otherwise imperforate and having an underside, a flexible and deformable disc having a central portion secured to the underside of the cover at the apex of the cover, said disc being otherwise unsecured to the cover-and having a free peripheral portion normally engaging the underside of the cover and closing said air inlet holes, and an overflow pipe connected to and communicating with the interior of said casing and leading away from the casing.

2. In a flush tank valve assembly, a refill pipe having an upper end, a hollow cup-shaped casing mounted on said refill pipe, said casing having a bottom wall, a valve seat on said bottom wall having communication with the upper end of the refill pipe, a spill pipe depending from said bottom wall and communicating with the interior of said casing, a float lever shaft traversing and journalled on said casing, a valve body projecting from said shaft and extending over said valve seat, said valve body having a valve element engageable with said seat, upon elevation of the float lever from a depressed position to an elevated position, said casing having an open top, a conical cover mounted on and closing the top of the casing, said cover having an apex, air inlet holes in said cover around said apex, the cover and the casing being otherwise imperforate and having an underside, a flexible and deformable disc having a central portion secured to the underside of the cover at the apex of the cover, said disc being otherwise unsecured to the cover and having a free peripheral portion normally engaging the underside of the cover and closing said air inlet holes, and an overflow pipe connected to and communi eating with the interior of said casing and leading away from the casing, said casing having a sidewall, a bail 1 extending across said casing and having ends pivoted to diametrically opposite portions of the sidewall, said apex having a slot in which said bail is removably engaged and holds the cover in place on the casing.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,294,785 Langdon Sept. 1, 1942 2,491,131 Owens Dec. 13, 1949 2,579,855 Pockel Dec. 25, 1951 2,635,622 Owens Apr. 21, 1953 2,650,059 Hjulian Aug. 25, 1953 2,667,177 Smith Jan. 26, 1954 

